Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-07-26
RAMBLEs ABOUT EUROPE.
From England to Egypt Especially for
the Eagle.
10. XII.

Il 10 XII.
/ LONDON, July 10, 1887.
t In the long list of attractions which thi
2 city affords that the voracious appetite Q
the sightse might be appeased there
nothing to. my mind, of much greater in
, terest than the museums and picture gal
, lelies, SO profusely stocked with works o
| art and curiosities from the four quarters o
the globe. I shall have occasion to de
scribe as go along the most important
C onfning myself in this letter to four
smely: The British Museum, the Soutl
Kensington Museum, the National Pictur
Gallery and Madam Tussand's wax works
| feel less competent to write about thu
British museum than the others named, be
cause took less interest, which is scarcely
ommendable, in its vast collection of an
quities-Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Ly
clan, Scandinavian and British The mu
scum was first opened to the public in 1859
From the constant accessions that have
been made to it cutgrew its original quar-
tiers, and in 1923 tine present magnificent
edifice was commenced and is not yet com
pleted, although five millions of dollars
have been already expended in the building
alone. There are twelve rooms or depart.
ments devoted to corresponding number
of ologies-a lack of familiarity with
such jaw breakers as Palaontology
dmonishes me not to attempt their emu
m GRAFTON, Here are munmies from
| Egypt, half as old as creation itself, dis
play ed in glass cases, Nineveh marbles and
the original tablets containing an account
of the creation and deluge, discovered in
Assyria. There lie no end to caps, columns,
statuary and bronzes of great antiquity,
besides engravings, manuscripts, old
books, COINS and every article of utility
used by the ancients or by savages of
more modern era, including their idols
and weapons of warfare. In fact the
whole known world has been searched for
relics of this description, with result
wo nderfully ike success. 1t is all free to
the rich and poor alike. There are prob
ably 750, 900 volumes of valuable books in
the library of this institution, and botani-
cal collections on the same grand scale.
The South Kinsington museum next en-
gagged our attention. 1t is an offset in
some respects from the British museum
1t has been the receptical also of collec-
tons acquired in the great exhibition of
1851, and of the fine art collection ex
hibited at Marlborough house. In the
two first departments are contained imi-
tations of representations in plaster, full
size, of Columbus, Mauttes, and statues
running back to the 18th century.
In other apartments are fine collections
of paintings, tapestry lace, Severes and
other porcelain, brio a brsc, wood carving
and inlaid work centuries old and of meal
culable value, bequeathed to the institution
by individuals who gratified taste for
the artistic, and after spending a life time
in collecting these rare specimens of mans
handiwork and genius, left the result of
their labor Of love end munifcence to the
world, that the arts, and all that was
aesthetic in our natures, might be further
cultivated and encouraged. In one apart
ment are seven cartoons executed by
Raphael in 1913. These cartoons, repre-
senting scriptural scenes, are merely de-
signs for tapestry work, ordered by Pope
Leo. X. In size they are about 12x20 feet.
The tapestries, of which there are ten, are
now in the Vatican. The cartoons have
quite history of their own. Oliver Crom
well bought them for 81 500 from Charles
l., who had purchased them on the advice
of Reubens from the manufacturer at Ar
ras, in whose warehouse they had lain
since the death of Raphael They finally
passed through the hand of royalty until
they reached Queen Victoris, who per
mitted their removal to the museum in
1865
The largest collection of paintings in the
museum was the gift by the late Mr.. John
Sheepshanks. There are perhaps one
hundred of them executed by such noted
artists as Sir Edward Landseer, Turner,
Leslie, Mulready and others The Jones
collection acquired in 1882 is the most i'm
por tant gift as well as the most valuable
yet secured. Here you see not only rare
paintinps Int sculnture hronzes and O
great variety of porcelains, enameled and
inlaid work. l can merely give you a
glimpse of these things. To describe them
In detail would take volume so vast are
the collections throughout this huge build
ing. The national gallery of pictures is
located on Trafalgar square neer the Amer
lean exchange. 1t contains more than one
thousand paintings of the British, French,
Dutch, Flemish, Italian and Spanish
schools. Here are some of the finest paint
ings of Leslie, who was born of American
parents. Those of Benjamin West, an
other American, had been temporarily re.
moved from the gallery. A true lover of
fine art, fancy, could be well entertained
in the national gallery for two or three
days. There are two rooms entirely de-
voted to the Turner collection, painted by
himself, and by his viii bequeathed to the
nation.
This eccentric artist who painted over
$50 pictures and acquired fortune, died